Spain requests EU aerial support for wildfires
The government of Greece has already confirmed that it will send two aircraft in response to the call for assistance
The government of Spain has issued a request for aerial firefighting support through the European Union’s (EU) Civil Protection Mechanism.
The country has asked for at least four fixed-wing aircraft to support its efforts in combating wildfires in various parts of Spain, especially in the Province of Ávila, and the Community of Madrid.
The request was made at the behest of the Military Emergencies Unit (UME), a branch of the Spanish military in charge of providing disaster relief.
The Greek government has already agreed to dispatch two Canadair CL-415 aircraft to Spain via the mechanism.
The request follows the declaration of an emergency of national interest on 23 July in response to the wildfires, which have seen around 11,500 people evacuated.
Aircraft have also been dispatched to tackle similar heatwave-related wildfires in parts of Greece.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor at the Voyageur Group. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.